Making one’s quietus

The word “quietus” was made famous in the Hamlet soliloquy but ggl puts it this way:

“In the early 1500s, English speakers adopted the Medieval Latin phrase quietus est (literally "he is quit") as the name for the writ of discharge exempting a baron or knight from payment of a knight's fee to the king. The expression was later shortened to "quietus" and applied to the termination of any debt.”

I use the term now, in modern English, as … quietly … making those last arrangements concerning my departure from this life, also giving it overtones of “final reckoning”. Lest any fear or hope there’s something in the offing … sorry to disappoint, no plans that way for the next twelve to fifteen years … however others might have an offing of the Higham in mind. Not my greatest concern just now.

What is my concern is the music for the funeral or memorial get-together or even just final blogpost. I can see a situation where there’ll be no service, as I’ll probably end up on a skip or in a pauper’s mass grave … that’s, again, not a grave concern of mine … the music is though.

In the days when I used to attend funerals, which I now do not, being housebound … nor do I expect anything for myself … it would still be nice to be associated with three hymns, for specific reasons.  Were any kind soul to heed this request, I see the service or memorial post opening with a fanfare, a sort of statement of the grandeur and majesty of our Maker and here’s the thing … I’d like it to be this specific version of this specific hymn, played on a screen, with speakers … and anyone who wishes can sing along:

Asking a bit much, innit? I mean … if there is some sort of service, they’re hardly going to trot out a big screen just for me, which is why I’m thinking more in terms of a simple shove him in the ground, and this online will be the service. If that’s the case, then why can’t the kind MC run this specific youtube … tech today shirley permits?

Same applies to the second of three hymns … this is the one I use personally, this specific one with the words … so I request that this, not some substitute, be used. There’s another reason … there are slightly different versions of the tune … in America, in the UK, in other countries. This is the specific tune and the specific video if you don’t mind, thank you kindly, pretty please:

All right, that concludes the business side of things. For the last one, the exeunt so to speak, there’s much ado about the blog here.  For years I ran this particular version by Chris Barber on my About page and it fits the bill perfectly as my sign-off … but the words are not displayed, therefore they’d need to be displayed somehow, maybe on a photostatted sheet or in this post and here it gets a bit tricky … it needs stage directions:

You’d let the opening verse, which starts right from the first second, serve as the intro, no singing, then voices come in at about 28 seconds … at the same time that the song title appears onscreen. 

Two verses ensue with the whole band, then two more with trombone and clarinet.  That’s all there is in the first group of four verses … the music now goes more freeform at 1:55, not so good to sing along with but great listening … and this frreform goes on for a long time.

At 4:08, the clarinet brings it back to the melody and the singing resumes, then a second verse with banjo and clarinet, plus a third and last verse with banjo and clarinet and that’s it for the singing … the whole band goes beserk at 5:10 and it’s instrumental through to the end.

Right, how to arrange these karaoke verses?  Well here’s just a suggestion:

First set:

I am weak but Thou art strong
Jesus keep me from all wrong
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee

Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be

When my feeble life is o'er
Time for me will be no more
Guide me gently, safely o'er
To Thy kingdom's shore, to Thy shore

Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be

Second and final set:

Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be

When my feeble life is o'er
Time for me will be no more
Guide me gently, safely o'er
To Thy kingdom's shore, to Thy shore

Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be

And that’s about it. Now … why? Well, in my long book, Masquerade, in the last chapter (spoilers) they’re deceased, humanity is in a holding area before the final judgment (yes, don’t ask) and the terrible two decide that that’s no way to go out … in a dirge … so they start singing and dancing a final song, which turns into a bit of a show …

… well I was just thinking that that would be a nice way for me to go out … in a singing and dancing way.

Just an idea, that’s all. 😎🥳😁☺️. Also, nice that they’re all old codgers rocking away in Dylan Thomas style.

While I remember … at my mother’s funeral, bless her heart, I told her one and only joke to the assembled … which went down (cough) variously. If someone could tell the same joke at my farewell, it would be greatly appreciated … this is it (remembering that this was highly risque for my mother to tell, she was giggling over it):

Village idiot was leaning over the stone wall, watching the couple gardening away. Finally, he took the straw from his mouth and asked:

“What you be doin’?”

“We’re putting manure on the strawberries.”

“Ooo, we put cream on ours.”

My father’s birthday by the way.